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Students buy in bulk to find bargains

Kay Bettendorf lives in the Quincy University Student Living Center and her meal plan does not allow her to get unlimited meals at the cafeteria on campus, so she has to shop for her groceries from time to time.

QU students get their groceries from several different locations in town, always trying to get the best bang for their buck.

“Aldi mainly and if I need something a little more specific or name brand I go to Walmart and spend $30 to $35 every two and a half weeks,” Bettendorf said.

Maddie McKeown who also lives in the SLC, pays a bit more than what Bettendorf pays for her groceries because McKeown shops at different locations.

“I usually shop at Hy-Vee and sometimes Walmart. I probably spend $65 to $75 a week in groceries,” McKeown said.

Students in the SLC and a houses on campus students have from one to two roommates, so weekly, residents of the room may spend $75 on groceries while individually they would spend around $35.

“We all get groceries individually unless it’s something like chicken or tilapia. We love tilapia. Or if we run out of a certain seasoning one of us just grabs that when we go to the store. Things like cleaning supplies, paper towels and more we go in a rotation of who buys what. We mainly shop at Aldi and Sam’s Club,” Corbin Myers said.

Sam’s Club seems to be a smart investment for students who buy in bulk for their dorms. Aldi is for students who are on a tight budget and want to get the most out of their money, for instance a box of eggs can be as low as a dollar. Walmart seems to be the choice for most students if they are looking for snacks and supplies while still at a reasonable price. Students who shop at Hy-Vee can find deals on specific products that will lower the price.

“I know people who can spend double what I do comfortably in Quincy and have the food for the same amount of time. And there are also people I know who all pitch in for groceries. Like the total is $100 but all of them just pay $25 each. Quincy is a low-income town anyway so these prizes are not that outrageous. Like Hy-Vee prices compared to the grocery stores near my house in Colorado is way cheaper,” Bettendorf said.

Prices tend to vary from each business so it is up to the students to make the decision to choose what they want for their dorms.